 |
| Original Photo by ewen and donabel |
So, now I get a chance to be an armchair quarterback. In my humble opinion, it is a mediocre show. The characters can be stupid and the situations they find themselves in have too many loop-holes.
The points I want to make are all the things that seem obvious to me in my nice warm house, with my food, water, shelter, and the knowledge that a zombie hoard is not walking through my neighborhood.
1) Don't stumble around half-naked and unarmed during the zombie apocalypse.
The main character, Rick, wakes up from a coma, to find the world he knew is gone. Rick then stumbles out into the hall of the hospital to see all the damage, chaos, and The Dead that make up his current world. He's supposed to be a police officer, they are supposedly trained in emergency situations. So, rather than blundering around the hospital (and all the way home!) mostly naked in nothing more than his hospital gown, why not go back into his room and grab his clothes and shoes? There are several military officers dead around him as he wanders the halls. Again, police officer, why doesn't he grab a gun (or two) and some ammo? Yes, I know, he just woke up from a coma. Still.
2) Speaking of being armed...
In quite a few scenes in The Walking Dead, there are plenty of dead military (possibly National Guard and Army) personnel around. All military personnel I have ever seen are armed. Therefore, eany, meany, miney... pick a weapon, any weapon. We're talking pistols like The SIG P228 & P229, rifles like The M16, carbines like The M4, shotguns like The Remington Medel 870, maybe even a Heckler & Koch MP5K-PDW. You get my gist. Guns - plenty for the taking and all the ammo needed for each one.
3) Grab a Humvee.
In all the same scenes with the dead military personnel mentioned above, there are also a lot of Humvees. Humvees, like all military spec vehicles, are designed for open war. They are definitely equipped for the zombie apocalypse. If I found myself in the zombie apocalypse surrounded by abandoned military vehicles, I would be rocking a Humvee for sure. One with a gun turret on top, with either an M60 or a Minigun mounted to it. As long as that didn't leave me exposed to a zombie attack from above or rain. I want to be able to camp in my Humvee. Also, assuming I would run into more living people, I'd want to add to my military vehicle convoy. I would love to add vehicles like a Stryker, an LVSR with trauma bay, and maybe even an LMTV.
4) Upgrade your Recreational Vehicle.
Along the lines of vehicles, let's look the civilian side too. In The Walking Dead, Dale was the RV guy. He drove an old 1970's Winnebago. In the 1970's, this was a really nice RV, but now? There is no point in breaking down in the middle of nowhere during the zombie apocalypse. I'd go to the nearest RV dealership and grab a new one that is small and light. Having a small RV as opposed to a land yacht keeps the vehicle maneuverable in tight spots. I'd drive away in something like The 2013 Winnebago Via or The 2013 Winnebago View Profile. If you are going to have to sleep in your vehicle, why not do it in style?
5) Water.
Your best bet for clean drinking water in the zombie apocalypse is a hand-pump type water well like the group uses on Hershel's farm in The Walking Dead. During the first season of the show they camp by this rock quarry that sits up high enough that they can see the sky line of downtown Atlanta, GA. As far as I know, water from a rock quarry isn't safe to drink unless you're filtering it or distilling it. A better source is running water, or at least a natural lake, which still needs to be filtered or distilled. They do run into a Sparkletts Water Truck on the highway between the quarry and farm. That would be the ultimate find in the zombie apocalypse, a truck full of purified drinking water. Not only is the water highly useful, but the awesome five gallon jugs can be re-used for water, fuel, whatever. See the aforementioned hand-pump for refilling. . .
6) Strip abandoned vehicles.
Before they get to the farm, they are on the highway. I think it is supposed to be I-85, but it doesn't matter. There are TONS of abandoned vehicles. All of these people were clearly trying to make a run for it. As a result, they are all loaded to the gills with whatever the owner(s) thought was absolutely necessary. Time to spend some quality time on the highway stripping the cars and clearing the path. I'd take everything out of the trunk, back seat, under the seats, glove compartments, center console, etc. I'd strip them bare. Then lay it all out on the ground around the vehicle for everyone to pick through. We're talking hand tools, hunting gear, fishing tackle, camping stuff, etc. I'd also be siphoning all the gas and/or diesel fuel that I could carry. I'd have a fuel transfer hand pump for this task. In the show they're doing the suck on the hose until it starts flowing trick. I don't particularly like the taste of gasoline.
7) Hunting tools.
Daryl, probably the coolest character in The Walking Dead show, is the only one equipped with a crossbow. Just FYI - all states in the US of A have some sort of regulation on crossbows and their use for hunting, just in case you are thinking about emulating Daryl before the zombie apocalypse hits. You'll need bolts (crossbow arrows), a scope, a quiver, a sling, and a cocking crank would be handy. A compound bow and arrows would also be highly useful. On top of these archery tools, a knife would be sweet. In addition, a field dressing knife to actually skin a deer, or whatever game you may shoot, would also be a good tool to have.
8) Swords.
OK, swords don't come into play until the very last episode of season 2. In one of the very last scenes, Andrea is saved from impending doom by Michonne. In this scene Michonne is wielding a Katana or Samurai Sword. Odds are good you won't find a real one, though. Forgo the ceremonial stuff and stick with something more like the Woodman's Pal. Gerber also makes a similar tool, The Gator Machete Pro. A machete is not a sword, it is a tool used to clear brush. At the same time, both machetes would work fine for clearing The Dead.
9) Fishing tackle.
In one of the episodes from season 1, Andrea and her sister Amy are fishing in the middle of the rock quarry. From what I've read, fishing is tough in a rock quarry. They're using fly fishing rods and reels like they were normal rods and reels. Funny enough Amy and Andrea are discussing the finer points of actual fly fishing knots while they fish. Having fishing tackle would be really useful in the zombie apocalypse. I'd skip the fly fishing stuff, it is not practical. I would have a spinning rod and reel combo and a small set of hard baits like Rapalas as well as a few bobbers, weights, and hooks. I'd also add yet another knife, this time a fillet knife.
10) First Aid.
OK, let me start with the basics like Neosporin and Band-Aids. Everybody gets cuts and bruises. However, now they can lead to becoming a zombie. Some type of ibuprofen (muscle relaxant) like Motrin, a Naproxen sodium (anti-inflammatory) like Aleve, and asprin like Tylenol would be good to have too. In The Walking Dead, the whole group seems to be lacking any kind of basic first aid. I always keep a first aid kit in my car. I would assume that other people do too. This is another reason to strip all the abandoned cars you come across in the zombie apocalypse.
